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Monteagle in Grundy County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Highlander Folk School

1932-1962

 
 
Highlander Folk School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 17, 2020
1. Highlander Folk School Marker
Inscription.
In 1932, Myles Horton and Don West founded Highlander Folk School, located ½ mile north of this site. It quickly became one of the few schools in the South committed to the cause of organized labor, economic justice. and an end to racial segregation. Courses included labor issues, literacy, leadership, and non-violent desegregation strategies, with workshops led by Septima Clark. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, John Lewis, and Eleanor Roosevelt found inspiration for the modern civil rights movement there. Opponents of its causes tried to close the school.

Following a 1959-60 trial in Grundy County, the State of Tennessee revoked the school's charter. It was adjudged to have violated segregation laws, sold beer without a license. and conveyed property to Myles Horton for his home. When the sheriff padlocked the school, Horton proclaimed Highlander to be an idea rather than simply a group of buildings. adding: “You can't padlock an idea.” In a 1979 Ford Foundation Report, Highlander was singled out as the most notable American experiment in adult education for social change.
 
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 2E 75.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
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Civil RightsEducation. In addition, it is included in the Eleanor Roosevelt, the Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Tennessee Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.
 
Location. 35° 15.073′ N, 85° 48.236′ W. Marker is in Monteagle, Tennessee, in Grundy County. Marker is at the intersection of Tracy Road (U.S. 41) and Justus Street, on the left when traveling north on Tracy Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 90 Justus St, Monteagle TN 37356, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Crossroads of War (approx. 1˝ miles away); Trail of Tears (approx. 1.6 miles away); RyeMabee 1930 (approx. 1.6 miles away); The Dawn Redwood of Monteagle (approx. 1.9 miles away); The Amphitheater (approx. 1.9 miles away); Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (approx. 2.1 miles away); Grundy County / Marion County (approx. 2.3 miles away); Tullahoma Campaign (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monteagle.
 
Also see . . .
1. Our History. Timeline by Highlander Research and Education Center (Submitted on May 25, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 

2. Highlander Folk School. Entry in the Tennessee Historical Society's Tennessee Encyclopedia. (Submitted on May 25, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Highlander Folk School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 17, 2020
2. Highlander Folk School Marker
Reverse side
 

3. Myles Horton. Collection of audio clips, photographs and documents about the school and its co-founder, curated by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee as part of its SNCC Digital Gateway: Learn from the Past, Organize for the Future, Make Democracy Work project. (Submitted on May 25, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 
 
Additional keywords. Jim Crow South
 
Highlander Folk School Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 17, 2020
3. Highlander Folk School Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 487 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on May 25, 2020, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024